Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee  
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Ethoniina
Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee   Adult images
Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3558, female, alive with legs held tight against body, EP, 10.4 × 4.0 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL0476A, male, EP, 8.4 × 3.2 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL0476C, female, EP, 8.9 × 3.5 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, female, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (for photo), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm
Actual
size¹:
9.3 mm
×
3.6 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L18.9
8.4 – 9.4
n = 39.7
8.9 – 10.4
n = 4
L28.6
7.75 – 9.35
n = 210.3
n = 1
W3.4
3.2 – 3.6
n = 33.8
3.5 – 4
n = 4
Legend  L1length from clypeus/frons to elytral apex (mean, range, sample size)
L2length from anterior of edge of eyes to elytral apex
Wmaximum width with elytra fully closed
Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee  Distinctive features

Differs from Ethonion cf. reichei in its larger size and more elongate shape, as well as in its use of a specific larval host plant.

Notes

As with Ethonion cf. reichei the galls of E. cf. reichei Mallee are usually found on the root crown near the junction of root and stem, or elsewhere on the upper root or extreme base of the stem.

This entity is possibly a distinct species and its phrase name is based on the 'Mallee districts' in which it occurs. It is found in mallee or heathy vegetation, particularly on dunes and other sandy areas where its larval host plant grows.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EPMUSE
Australian States:  SA+?
Southern South Australian occurrences
LegendP.J.Lang collection vouchered records
other private collection or museum specimens, or sightings
Satellite map
Terrain map
Enlarge map
Adult activity records for Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee  (total of 7 beetles)
1
5 1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 1 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 1
live non-emerged adults only, for that quarter month
12
number of active beetles for that quarter month
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
42EPF
Leptospermum sp.21EPM
Legendbeetlescount of beetles collected from, or sighted on, host plant taxon
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code beetles % host plant taxa
F Fabaceae 4 67% 1
M Myrtaceae 2 33% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flowering plant31
on plant (unspecified)32
Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee Breeding record images
Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem galls before dissection, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem gall before dissection, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem gall, dissected, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem gall, dissected, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem gall, dissected, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem gall, dissected, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532E, larva, three dorsal views, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532E, larva, ventral view, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3934A, larva, in Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 3195), MU, 8.3 × 1.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3931, larva, from Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 3194) dorsal & ventral & lateral view, (earlier instar) 7.3 mm long, MU, 7.3 × 2.0 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3639A, larva, (pre-ecdysal and possibly prepupal) within dissected root crown gall of Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 3087), EP, 9.0 × 1.6 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3639A, larva, (pre-ecdysal and possibly prepupal) within dissected root crown gall of Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 3087), EP, 9.0 × 1.6 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL0476A, non-emerged adult, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (BS556-1211) gall (for photo), EP, 8.4 × 3.2 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL0476A, non-emerged adult, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (BS556-1211) gall (for photo), EP, 8.4 × 3.2 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL0476A, non-emerged adult, on Dillwynia sparsifolia (BS556-1211) gall (for photo), EP, 8.4 × 3.2 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) with partly excavated base, EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1531, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690), dissected gall (lower centre) & hatched gall (right), EP, 9.4 × 3.8 mm Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem galls, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL1532, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 2690) stem galls, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL0476, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (BS556-1210), hatched stem galls, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3639, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 3087) uprooted plant with galls on stem base and root crown, EP Ethonion cf. reichei Mallee, PL3639, larval host plant, Dillwynia sparsifolia (PJL 3087) uprooted plant with galls above and below ground level, EP
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family adult liveadult deadadult ex pupapupalarvagall (only)
8814EP, MU, SEF45124036
Legendrecordscount of breeding adults, pupae and larvae
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
adultlive = extracted alive;   dead = extracted dead as intact or fragmentary remains;   ex billet = reared and emerged from stored sections of host;   ex pupa = reared from sampled pupa
pupaextracted pupa;   pupa ex larva = reared pupa from larva
larvaextracted larva (any stage including prepupa)
gall (only)hatched or unhatched gall identified by form and position rather than contents
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code records % host plant taxa
F Fabaceae 88 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssitesadult liveadult deadadult ex pupapupalarvagall (only)
root gall313
root crown gall701435122831
stem gall123183
unknown3212
Host plant notes

This entity appears to only use only one species of Parrot-pea, Dillwynia sparsa as its larval host.

¹ LegendregionsSA State Herbarium regions (map)
EA: Eastern, EP: Eyre Peninsula, FR: Flinders Ranges, GT: Gairdner-Torrens, KI: Kangaroo Island, LE: Lake Eyre, MU: Murray, NL: Northern Lofty, NU: Nullarbor, NW: North-Western, SE: South-Eastern, SL: Southern Lofty, YP: Yorke Peninsula
sizeThe ellipse is the correct size when printed, indicative on a desktop screen, and likely to be wrong on a mobile device.